ArticlePublisher preview available

Regular provision of grandchild care and participation in social activities

Authors:
Bruno Arpino at University of Padua
Bruno Arpino
  • University of Padua
Valeria Bordone
Valeria Bordone
Valeria Bordone
  • This person is not on ResearchGate, or hasn't claimed this research yet.
Read publisher preview
Download citation
To read the full-text of this research, you can request a copy directly from the authors.

Abstract

Against the background of rapid population ageing, studying social participation in later life is of particular relevance within the framework of active ageing. Although caring for grandchildren has taken a central role for older persons due to unprecedented overlap between grandparents’ and their grandchildren’s lives, whether the relationship between grandparental childcare and social activities is characterised by cumulation or competition remains under-explored. Grandparental childcare may increase the purpose in life for grandparents, stimulating their social participation, or it may impose time and energy constraints on it. This study aims to assess the effect of providing grandchild care on participation in social activities for people aged 50–85 in Europe. Using an instrumental variable approach on data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, we find no significant negative effects of grandchild care on engagement in at least one social activity. However, regular provision of grandchild care has a significant negative effect on the number of activities in which grandmothers participate. When considering the activities separately by type we also find, for grandmothers only, a negative effect on volunteering, engagement in educational or training courses and participation in political or community-related organisation.
A preview of this full-text is provided by Springer Nature.
Learn more
Content available from Review of Economics of the Household
This content is subject to copyright. Terms and conditions apply.
Regular provision of grandchild care and participation
in social activities
Bruno Arpino
1
•Valeria Bordone
2
Received: 28 May 2015 / Accepted: 11 January 2016 / Published online: 21 January 2016
Springer Science+Business Media New York 2016
Abstract Against the background of rapid population ageing, studying social
participation in later life is of particular relevance within the framework of active
ageing. Although caring for grandchildren has taken a central role for older persons
due to unprecedented overlap between grandparents’ and their grandchildren’s lives,
whether the relationship between grandparental childcare and social activities is
characterised by cumulation or competition remains under-explored. Grandparental
childcare may increase the purpose in life for grandparents, stimulating their social
participation, or it may impose time and energy constraints on it. This study aims to
assess the effect of providing grandchild care on participation in social activities for
people aged 50–85 in Europe. Using an instrumental variable approach on data from
the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe, we find no significant
negative effects of grandchild care on engagement in at least one social activity.
However, regular provision of grandchild care has a significant negative effect on
the number of activities in which grandmothers participate. When considering the
activities separately by type we also find, for grandmothers only, a negative effect
on volunteering, engagement in educational or training courses and participation in
political or community-related organisation.
&Bruno Arpino
bruno.arpino@upf.edu
Valeria Bordone
v.bordone@soton.ac.uk
1
Department of Political and Social Sciences and Research and Expertise Centre for Survey
Methodology (RECSM), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Carrer Ramon Trias Fargas 25-27,
08005 Barcelona, Spain
2
Centre for Research on Ageing, University of Southampton, Highfield Campus,
Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
123
Rev Econ Household (2017) 15:135–174
DOI 10.1007/s11150-016-9322-4
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
... While grandchild caregiving may limit grandparents' opportunities for self-care and leisure activities (Arpino & Bordone, 2017;Jendrek, 1993), it can simultaneously enhance their social participation by promoting purposeful involvement in communities setting directly linked with caregiving roles. The World Health Organization (2002) emphasizes social participation as a critical element in addressing challenges associated with aging, and extensive research has con rmed its bene ts for older adults' health, individual well-being, and societal cohesion (Baker et al., 2005;Keyes, 2006;Matz-Costa et al., 2016;Putnam, 2000). ...
... In contrast, role strain theory suggests that the demands of multiple roles may lead to con icts and increased stress, thereby limiting participation in social activities (Goode, 1960). Some studies have reported that caring for grandchildren is likely to reduce social involvement due to competing time and effort demands of both activities (Arpino & Bordone, 2017). These divergent ndings can largely be attributed to the intensity of caregiving (Ates et al., 2022;Bulanda & Jendrek, 2016). ...
... (3) physical exercise, (4) community organization participation, (5) volunteer or charity work, and (6) educational or training courses, following a previous study (Arpino & Bordone, 2017). For each activity, the respondents who answered "yes" were further asked to report the frequency of engagement, with responses ranging from 1 (almost daily) to 3 (not regularly). ...
Grandchild caregiving and social activity participation among urban grandparents in China: are migrants disadvantaged compared to locals?
Preprint
Full-text available
  • Mar 2025
Background and objectives: Grandchild caregiving is a common phenomenon among urban Chinese grandparents. Amid profound economic reforms and enormous demographic shifts in China, many rural grandparents have followed their adult children and migrated into urban areas to provide care for their grandchildren. However, little research has explored how grandparenting influences social participation among local and rural-to-urban migrant grandparents. This study examined the association between grandchild caregiving and Chinese grandparents’ participation in social activities in urban areas. We further explored whether this association differs between local and migrant grandparents and investigated how this migration-related heterogeneity varies by gender. Research Design and Methods: This study employed four waves of data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) spanning from 2011 to 2018. Three variables were constructed to measure whether to participate in any social activities, the number of types of social activities, and the frequency of social participation. Grandparenting was measured by a dummy variable indicating whether to provide care to grandchildren and a categorical variable to represent caregiving intensity. We employed the fixed effects model to examine the association between grandchild caregiving and social activity participation. Results: Our findings indicate that a significant positive effect of grandchild caregiving on social activity participation, primarily driven by moderate caregiving. Heterogeneity analyses reveal that these positive effects were observed only among local grandparents, with migration-based heterogeneity evident only among grandmothers. Discussion and Implications: Our findings offer valuable policy implications in the context of rapid population aging and large-scale internal migration in contemporary China and other developing countries.
View
... Many grandparents, especially those in the grand sandwich generation, may find it challenging to navigate these evolving family roles, as the caregiving expectations placed on them often exceed their own capacity to provide support and limit the time they can spend on self-care and social networking. Arpino & Bordone's (2017) research suggests that for grandmothers across Europe, having regular caregiving responsibilities for their grandchildren can negatively impact their social engagement levels, reducing their participation in activities such as volunteering, educational or training courses, and involvement in political or community organizations. Similarly, Leimer & van Ewijk's (2022) study on Western European countries highlights that grandmothers who provide daily childcare may experience grandparenthood as a burden, which can detract from their overall well-being. ...
The future of grandparenthood in South Asia: The role of population aging and educational expansion
Preprint
Full-text available
  • Jan 2025
Grandparents are an integral part of family support systems, serving as both providers and consumers of instrumental, financial, and emotional care. They also play a central role in transmitting cultural and financial capital to their grandchildren. Grandparenting, which refers to the care, support, and engagement grandparents provide to their grandchildren, is a socially expected phenomenon in South Asia. Grandparents are often expected to play active caregiving roles and typically co-reside with their grandchildren. While previous research has explored grandparenting across various socioeconomic groups, little is known about how evolving sociodemographic trends might impact grandparenthood in the future. Using data from the United Nations and the Wittgenstein Center for Global Human Capital, we explore how national-level sociodemographic changes are expected to affect the number of living grandparents per grandchild, as well as the age, sex, and educational profiles of grandparents across South Asia. We project that grandparental availability will increase, with grandparents becoming older and better educated. Specifically, the average age of grandparents in South Asia is expected to rise by six to eight years from 2024 to 2100, and the number with post-secondary education will increase significantly. These shifts are likely to affect the balance of care exchanged between generations, with potential benefits and challenges for grandparents, parents, and grandchildren.
View
... Considering a relatively limited sample size, it seems productive to investigate the connection between participation in social activities and risk preferences in individuals reporting participation in at least one social activity. This approach is also in line with the findings that participation in at least one social activity (compared to two or more activities) is common among Europeans aged 50 and above [50]. ...
Exploring the relationship between social activities and financial risk aversion in adults aged 50 + with depression caseness
Article
Full-text available
  • Jul 2024
Background Risk aversion due to depression is common among older adults, and social participation is associated with improved mental health and a lower risk of late-life depression. However, little is known about the connection between participation in social activities and risky financial decisions among adults with depression. Thus, we aim to examine the connection between participation in social activities and taking financial risks and investing in risky financial assets (with high-return potential) in such individuals, differentiated by age and gender. The study also focuses on analyzing the percentage of investors within each social activity, their attendance frequency, and motivation. Methods The data was obtained from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) database Wave 2 (2006–2010). The study included 8,769 individuals aged 50 + with depression caseness, from 15 European countries and Israel who answered the question on participation in social activities and reported financial risk-taking intentions or behaviors (investing in stocks or shares, mutual funds or managed investment accounts, and both). The study utilized Pearson chi-square, odds ratios, Z, and hierarchical logistic regression tests. Results The odds for taking financial risks and investing in risky financial assets were higher for those participating in social activities compared to those who did not, on both intentional (by 173%) and behavioral (by 240–397%) levels. Such social activities (attended at least once a week, without financial motivation) have been shown to be primarily represented by educational or training courses — where 33% of participants invested in risky financial assets. The connection persisted after controlling for gender, age, marital status, children, income. Conclusions By overcoming the subjects’ financial risk aversion, participation in social activities may help improve mental health in individuals aged 50 + with depression caseness. This has important implications for policymakers in healthcare, who by updating healthcare policies can fund and facilitate participation in social activities. As a result, the national healthcare system may benefit from lower hospitalization-related expenses, and generate higher cash flows into the country’s economy using the population’s renewed interest in investing available funds. These results are relevant in the wake of COVID-19 that increased loneliness and depression rates.
View
... Research from Australia suggests that the regular care of grandchildren, especially grandparents with infants and young children, can be a burden, both physically and emotionally [42]. Additionally, some studies have found that caring for grandchildren sometimes disrupts finances or reduces the time that the grandparents commit to leisure and social activities, which can increase their feelings of loneliness and social isolation [43,44]. ...
Exploring the Key Factors of Old Neighborhood Environment Affecting Physical and Mental Health of the Elderly in Skipped-Generation Household Using an RST-DEMATEL Model
Article
Full-text available
  • Feb 2023
Most elderly people choose to age in place, making neighborhood environments essential factors affecting their health status. The policies, economic status, and housing conditions of old neighborhoods have led many elderly people to live in skipped-generation households (SGHs), where they have gradually weakened physical functions and are responsible for raising grandchildren; this puts their health in a more fragile state than that of the average elderly person. Practical experience has shown that when faced with complex environmental renovation problems in old communities, many cases often adopt a one-step treatment strategy; however, many scholars have questioned the sustainability of such unsystematically evaluated renovation projects. Therefore, it is often valuable to explore the root causes of these old neighborhood problems and conduct targeted transformations and upgrades according to the interactive relationship between various influencing factors. This study attempted to establish a novel evaluation system to benefit the health of elderly families in old neighborhoods and develop an understanding of the impact relationship among the indicators, while avoiding any form of waste when collecting responses in regard to the future transformation of old neighborhoods. A questionnaire survey was conducted on the elderly in the Guangzhou Che Bei neighborhood in China, and by applying the rough set theory of the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory model, we established a preliminary evaluation system, obtained key environmental factors affecting the health of elderly people living in SGHs, and clarified their mutual relationships. Finally, on this basis, we proposed corresponding neighborhood renewal suggestions. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for future research, and our research model can be applied to similar aging research in the future.
View
Socially Withdrawn or Socially Engaged? The Impacts of Caring for Grandchildren on Social Participation Among Older Adults in China
Article
  • Mar 2025
  • J GERONTOL B-PSYCHOL
Objectives Grandparents caring for grandchildren (i.e., grandparenting) is a key aspect of intergenerational family dynamics. While extensive research has documented the health implications of grandparenting, relatively few studies have explored its association with social well-being. Grandparenting can either promote or constrain grandparents’ social participation, depending on caregiving intensity and intergenerational living arrangements. These associations may also vary by gender due to gendered social norms and differences in opportunities for social networking. This study investigates the longitudinal association between grandparenting and social participation among grandparents and examines how this association differs by gender. Methods Data are drawn from the 2011, 2013, and 2018 waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (N = 8,907, aged 45-80). We use fixed-effects Poisson regression models to examine the association between different types of grandparenting and the number of social participation activities of grandparents. Subgroup analyses are conducted by grandparents’ gender. Results In fixed-effects regression models adjusting for time-varying covariates, we find that nonintensive noncoresident grandparenting, intensive noncoresident grandparenting, and skipped-generation grandparenting are associated with increased social participation among grandparents compared to no grandparenting. However, no significant difference in social participation is observed between three-generation grandparenting and no grandparenting groups. Grandfathers show higher levels of social participation when engaging in nonintensive or intensive noncoresident grandparenting, whereas grandmothers experience increased social participation primarily with nonintensive noncoresident grandparenting. Discussion Overall, grandparenting promotes rather than hinders social participation among grandparents. This study highlights the role of intergenerational family relationships in facilitating older adults’ social engagement in later life.
View
Social Participation and Health-Related Quality of Life: How Vulnerable are Internal Migrant Older Adults in China?
Article
Full-text available
  • Feb 2025
The social integration and health of migrant older adults are more vulnerable compared to their local counterparts. While previous research has explored the impact of social participation on the quality of life of migrant older adults, the mechanisms driving these effects remain unclear. This study examines this relationship emphasising the mediating role of self-efficacy. Using longitudinal data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study Waves 3–4, lagged regression and instrumental variable methods were applied. Internal migrants aged 60 and over with valid data in both waves were included as the analytical sample (N = 1,349). The average frequency of community-level social participation and the number of grandchildren were used as instrumental variables. The results showed that social participation generally enhanced the quality of life for migrant older adults, however the effects varied depending on the type of participation. Simple socialising, intellectual activities, and group activities positively affected quality of life, while grandchild caring had a detrimental impact. Self-efficacy mediated the relationship between social participation and quality of life among migrant older adults, mitigating some negative effects of social participation. These findings highlight the importance of expanding opportunities for social participation and boosting self-efficacy through targeted interventions to enhance the well-being of migrant older adults.
View
Grandparenting and Physical Activity
Article
Objective: The aim of this study was to examine a continuum of grandparenting intensity and its association with physical activity using three perspectives: grandparents are active, the more constraints perspective, and the selection bias perspective. Method: We use 2014 data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally-representative panel study of the US population over the age of 50 and their spouses ( n = 17,851). Results: We found that greater grandparenting intensity was inversely associated with physical activity, providing support for both the more constraints perspective and the selection bias perspective. Discussion: We discuss the implications of inequality in which the most advantaged with physical activity are those who were either not grandparents, or grandparents who provided less care.
View
Having a granddaughter and voting for female candidates
Article
  • Aug 2024
This study examines the influence of grandchildren’s sex on grandparents’ voting behaviour by using independently collected individual-level data. The survey was conducted immediately after the 2016 House of Councillors election in Japan. It was found that individuals who had a granddaughter were more likely to vote for female candidates by a 10 per cent margin compared to those who did not. However, having a daughter did not affect parents’ voting behaviour. Furthermore, having a son or grandson also did not influence grandparents’ voting behaviour. This finding implies that grandparents vote with their granddaughters’ future benefits in mind, because granddaughters may be too young to vote in a male-dominated and ageing society.
View
View
Childcare by Grandparents in the Context of Welfare State Policies
Chapter
  • Feb 2023
The Oxford International Handbook of Family Policy has two main aims: to identify key developments globally in regard to the forms and modalities of relevant policies, and to take a critical look at the developments regarding those policies. The overall goal is to uncover the extent to which concerns about the family and the role and practices of parents are mobilizing public policy and related agency in different parts of the world. The Handbook draws mainly from research carried out for UNICEF in 2014 and covers nine countries: Belarus, Chile, China, Croatia, England, Jamaica, Philippines, South Africa, and Sweden. Analysis reveals a strong trend cross-nationally toward providing a range of resources (typically termed “support”) to improve familial functioning and increase parents’ information and knowledge, resources, and competence for childrearing. The measures are not uniform, however. Parenting support frequently sits alongside family support policy, but it can also be a stand-alone policy in a setting where there is no developed family policy. In some national settings the growth of family and/or parenting support involves the introduction of new policies and provisions; in others it involves a reorientation or reframing of existing policies. In a further clarification, one has to distinguish between the high-income countries where policy is very well developed and where parenting support represents a specialization of existing policy and the low- and middle-income regions of the world where family support and parenting support are expected to achieve a more generic set of outcomes and where they are much less specific in concrete policy terms.
View
View
View
View
View
View
Enhanced Routines for Instrumental Variables/Generalized Method of Moments Estimation and Testing
Article
  • Jan 2008
We extend our 2003 paper on instrumental variables and generalized method of moments estimation, and we test and describe enhanced routines that address heteroskedasticity- and autocorrelation-consistent standard errors, weak instruments, limited-information maximum likelihood and k-class estimation, tests for endogeneity and Ramsey's regression specification-error test, and autocorrelation tests for instrumental variable estimates and panel-data instrumental variable estimates.
View
Active Ageing Typologies: A Latent Class Analysis of the Older Europeans
Chapter
  • Feb 2018
This chapter focuses on the social participation domain of the active ageing framework and considers participation in different care (e.g., to grandchildren) and non-care (e.g., voluntary work) activities. By using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe and by applying Latent Class Analysis, the analyses identify three clusters of older people with similar patterns of social participation that vary by the type of activities in which they engage and the intensity of engagement. It is found that women are considerably more likely than men to belong to the group engaged in high intensive care. It is also found that people older than 76 years show high probabilities of not being engaged in social activities.
View
View
View
View